As known in the art, infrared electronic games include communication devices for transmission and reception of infrared light signals, operating on the same principle as a remote control for a television. Infrared shooting games typically include two channels of infrared communication, namely, a channel for transmitting an infrared signal (i.e., a tag or shot) and a channel for receiving the transmitted infrared signals. Such infrared electronic shooting games involve two or more players, each equipped with an apparatus for sending infrared signals (e.g., a gun) and an apparatus for receiving infrared signals (e.g., a target), wherein the object of the game is to target and shoot opponents with an infrared signal, thereby scoring a “hit” or a “tag” until only one player or team remains in the game.
Such infrared electronic shooting games are relatively well known and have been available since about 1985. For example, one infrared electronic shooting game sold beginning in about 1986 by WORLDS OF WONDER™, permitted players to fire invisible beams at one another with each player being provided with a game unit for emission of an infrared light beam. In the WORLDS OF WONDER™ game, a target was affixed to each player in order to count the number of “hits” registered by the target associated with each player. In the WORLDS OF WONDER™ game, a player was tagged “out” when six hits were registered for that player. Other infrared electronic shooting games that are known include indoor arena games such as LAZER QUEST™ and the like.
The earliest infrared electronic games had difficulty operating in very harsh environments of direct and indirect sunlight, as well as in the environment of indoor lighting. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,621 to Small et. al, for “Electronic Game With Infrared Emitter and Sensor,” issued May 18, 1999, a series of encoded infrared light signals may be sent with an infrared transmitter for providing a “signature” signal substantially longer in duration than abrupt changes in ambient lighting conditions to facilitate gameplay. The disclosed encoding of infrared signals additionally enabled special game and/or device features. However, although such infrared encoding made games more interesting and/or challenging to the participants, infrared electronic shooting games available for purchase by the general public were somewhat limited in functionality and gameplay in comparison to indoor arena games. Therefore, in view of the foregoing, an improved device and method for an infrared electronic shooting game would be welcome.
Prior art infrared electronic games such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,058 to Carter III et. al, for “Simulated Shooting Game With Continuous Transmission of Target Identification Signals,” issued Sep. 22, 1987, traditionally operated on two channels of infrared communication. In such systems, one signal was provided for transmitting an infrared signal while another channel received an infrared signal, thereby limiting the amount of data transmitted between two or more game apparatus. It would be desirable for an infrared electronic game to operate on more than two channels of infrared communication to allow for more complex game features and advanced user options to make the game more interactive and challenging.
Furthermore, it would be desirable for the game apparatus to provide an enhanced user interface for more interactivity between players and between a player and apparatus.
Other variations that can be used to further enhance the game playing experience include active accessory based configuration of hardware and software operation. That is, attaching or removing accessories alters both the look and the operation of the shooting device. This enhances the game by adding variations in weapon types and operation to create more realistic combat situations or more enticing fantasy combat situations. The accessory based configuration also enhances strategic aspects of the game playing experience by allowing players to balance the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration and make tactical decisions regarding specific combat situations. Audio feedback from firing and reloading sounds will also enhance the impression of changed performance.
Software configuration includes such things as firing modes, firing rates, the number of shots between reloads, the number of reloads, the damage per shot (“hit points”), the number of shields, the number of hits that will knock a player out of the game, and the sounds associated with specific events. The firing modes are used to simulate various types of weaponry mechanisms such as bolt-action sniper rifles, semi-automatic guns, burst fire guns such as assault rifles, fully-automatic machineguns, and shotguns.
Hardware configuration includes altering the physical characteristics of the infrared beam such as by changing the electrical current which controls the intensity of the infrared LED, or changing the arrangement of lenses which control the spread angle of the beam.
The prior art includes similar devices that have switches built into the weapon to alter the firing style between semi-automatic and fully automatic firing or to alter the characteristics of the infrared beam. Altering the firing style has been accomplished by using an electrical switch connected to the processor to set semi-automatic or fully-automatic modes and by using a sliding variable resistor to adjust the current and the intensity of the infrared beam. Altering the infrared beam has been accomplished mechanically by using a switch to move a pinhole blinder into or out of the optical path, by using a barrel extension to narrow the beam in a manner similar to using a pinhole, or by using a mechanical switch to move lenses into and out of the optical path.
The prior art does not include devices or systems that alter the number of hit points, provide for adjustable firing rates, allow variable numbers of shots between reloads, or utilize different sound effects for different firing modes, in response to varying physical configurations of the gun. Additionally, the prior art offers no strategic reason not to configure the device for a wide-beam, high power, fully-automatic mode because there is no significant disadvantage to the player for doing so. Moreover, switching between configurations in the prior art did not noticeably alter the appearance of the device.
It would be desirable for the game apparatus to offer the variation in both the software configuration and the hardware configuration described above that does not exist in the prior art. Additionally, it would be desirable for the game apparatus to have a different appearance and to use different sound effects for each variation in the software and hardware configurations.
Electronic shooting games have also been extremely popular for a single user in the form of devices that are attachable to a display, such as a television or a computer. In the prior art, such devices have typically used a photosensor equipped gun to process photo signals and to send processed information to the display. However, the prior art does not include such devices in combination with the type of infrared device described above.
It would be desirable to combine an infrared device for use with two or more players with a single player electronic shooting game device as just described and to provide the variability of configurations described above in a single device. Such a device would provide both increased realism and enjoyment and would also allow a more engaging means for the single player to become familiar with the simulated weapon's operation.
One such embodiment removably couples a mobile electronic device having a camera, such as an iPhone™ or an Android™ phone, to the infrared device and provides intelligent two-way communication between the two devices. The touch screen on the mobile electronic device is used for user input and as a heads up display for game related information originating from both the mobile electronic device and the infrared device. The camera, in combination with a sensor that produces data defining the real-time spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device, allows for single player and multiplayer augmented reality gaming along with traditional Lazer Tag™ where virtual objects and animations are superimposed on the real-time image captured by the camera and responsive to trigger pulls on the infrared device.
The prior art discloses Lazer Tag type games using a wireless telephone and standard communications technology. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2002/0111201 to Lang, for “Location-Based Game System”, published Aug. 15, 2002 discloses a location-based game of laser tag where each player wears a laser tag sensor coupled to the user's wireless telephone and the wireless telephone provides location and other data, including number of hits, to a central computer of a wide area network. The network may include technology such as Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular, with the orientation of mobile phones using a common reference coordinate frame.
The prior art also discloses combining guns with cameras. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,812 to Hill, for “Video Target Training Apparatus for Marksmen, and Method”, issued Sep. 11, 1990 discloses a gun-resembling member with an optical system that captures an image through the sight at the instant of pulling the trigger. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2004/0031184 to Hope, for “Optical Imaging Device for Firearm Scope Attachment”, published Feb. 19, 2004 discloses an electro-optical recording device, such as a digital still camera or a video recorder, optically connected to the scope sight of a firearm that operates when the trigger of the firearm is actuated. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2005/0252063 to Flannigan, for “Imaging System for Optical Devices”, published Nov. 17, 2005 discloses an imaging system for use with an optical device that splits an image into two identical images, one to view and one to record. This system can be used in the scope sight of a firearm. U.S. Pat. No. 7,194,204 to Gordon, for “Photographic Firearm Apparatus and Method”, issued Mar. 20, 2007 and U.S. Patent Application No. US 2006/0201046 to Gordon, for “Photographic Firearm Apparatus and Method”, published Sep. 14, 2006 disclose a telescopic firearm scope/sight which is fully integrated with a compact digital camera, and which has size, shape and weight characteristics that are substantially the same as those of a conventional, camera-less telescopic scope that is used to photograph a target proximate the instant at which the target is fired upon.
The prior art further discloses systems and methods embodying how the infrared device and the mobile electronic device may communicate using the audio/video/data ports on the two devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,853 to Fang et al., for “Personal Identification Device for Mobile Telephone”, issued Dec. 13, 2005 discloses an external device that connects to the headphone jack of a mobile telephone and simulates voice and data activity to convey a unique identification code. Other prior art relates to electronic devices with an A/V jack that receives a peripheral device and discriminates the functionality of the peripheral device. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2010/0000862 to Rao, for “Integrated Blood Glucose Measurement Device”, published Jan. 7, 2010 discloses a blood glucose measuring device communicatively coupled to a web enabled portable device to allow for data transfer between the devices. U.S. Patent Application No. US 2010/0249965 to Rao et al., for “Integrated Blood Glucose Measurement Device”, published Sep. 30, 2010 discloses a method of transferring data between a diagnostic measurement device and a portable consumer electronic device by communicatively coupling the devices through the audio port of the consumer electronic device.
Other prior art also discloses combining a mobile electronic device, such as a smart phone, with a toy gun, using high frequency sound and a pressure sensitive trigger switch. Others mount a smart phone on top of the toy gun so that a trigger pull causes plastic hammers to tap the touch screen and cause a shot to go across the display, such as finger touches on the touch screen would.
What would be desirable and what the prior art does not disclose is a traditional multiplayer Lazer Tag™ game enhanced by using a mobile electronic device, such as an iPhone™ or an Android™ phone, to provide single user and multiuser augmented reality and a heads up display. As stated above, one such embodiment removably couples the mobile electronic device having a display showing the real-time surroundings using a camera or some other means to the infrared device and provides intelligent two-way communication between the two devices. The touch screen on the mobile electronic device is used for user input and as a heads up display for game related information originating from both the mobile electronic device and the infrared device. The device, in combination with a sensor that produces data defining the real-time spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device, allows for single player and multiplayer augmented reality gaming along with traditional Lazer Tag™ where virtual objects and animations are superimposed on the real-time image captured by the camera or some other means and responsive to trigger pulls on the infrared device. This and other embodiments are ideal for using single player augmented reality to train for a multiuser Lazer Tag™ game in a way unknown in the prior art.